A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Pay-as-you-go phones?

I'm thinking of getting a cell phone, and I'm sure I want a pay-as-you-go, and I was wondering if anyone has one that they could recommend? I have a bunch of different brochures, but I've never had (or wanted) a cell phone, so they all kind of confuse me. I would use it for emergencies, local calls to hubby and such, and sometimes to catch up with long-distance friends while out running around.

I don't have the pay as you go plan..
I'm on my hubby's plan..
but when he upgraded, he got the main
minutes, and mine is cell to cell free..
Actually, free to any VERIZON person...
Works out great, cause he's the only one I
basically call on it..
*we got ours when I was pregnant with the first kid*

And the plan also has after 9:00pm free and weekends free......to anywhere's in the country.
We don't do long distance calls on our house phone any more...

Hi geegeebur I thought I was the only one that did not use a cell phone, and like you I have been thinking of getting one. I guess I can check back here to see what you find out.

Sorry I don't have any ideas. Steph

As I was sitting outside of my daughter's high school, two days ago, my car died on me and it occured to me that maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a cell phone. I to have been thinking of that pay as you go thing. Mostly for my daughter. I hate cell phones. Usually because I see to many people talking and driving or standing behind me in line talking about this discharge that they have.

I have mine for emergency's only basically..
Especially for when I have 2 wee~one's and a
senior~wee~one too!!!!!
That way, if something happens... I can at least call somewhere's....

And do you know what most people never think of
carring in their car when they have a cell phone??

IS A LOCAL PHONE BOOK....
You know if no one you know is home, and you
need a tow truck or lock smith or your local garage.... and you don't know the number by heart..

Something you also need to consider, geegee, is WHICH cell phone company provides the BEST reception in YOUR area. This varies greatly from location to location.

For instance, our town does NOT have a tower because we voted it down, not wanting future children born with 5 eyes, maybe. Therefore, without a local tower, almost every cell phone user has to drive further up RT. 1 to the next town to get clear, consistent transmission of their signals. However, one brand works here perfectly in spite of us not having a tower.

So talk to people in your area and try to get a feel for who is happy with which company and why. You may be surprised at what you'll find out.

Merme

I got mark a tracphone for emergencies, and so he could call me on his way home so I could start dinner....It's really nice....Not something you'd want to get if you wanted to talk a lot, but it's come in handy many times. Just a few days ago he broke down and was able to call his dad with it....Makes it worth it right there.

You can check out their website....just google it. One thing that I like about them is that you don't have to buy a new minute card every month....As long as you buy one every 2 months your service doesn't get cut out...So Mark spends 30 bucks every 2 months for a 100 minute card....plus we get coupons for 20 free minutes with a 100 mins. added...You can't beat only paying 15 bucks a month for a cell phone. If you run out of minutes before 2 months is up you can buy more of course--that isn't a problem. Plus there are NO contracts...that was one major selling point for me...I didn't want to get roped into 2 years of service.

They usually have lots of special deals going on their website....and the thing with tracfone is that they use any towers that are in the area....If you go out of your region(which is pretty darn big) and go into roaming you get charged 2 minutes per minute...You can also send text messages for a half a minute....You also get caller ID included for free....Your minutes left are always displayed on the front of the phone, and the date that your next minute card is due by is on there too.

Like I said, it's handy to have--but not something you'd want if you planned to talk a lot....

i got one of the "free local" ones a while back, and it was great because i didn't do much traveling at the time. and all 800# calls were considered local, so i kept a 4 cent a minute calling card. that was all i had for over 2 years!

i'd go back to that if i didn't spend so much time between one place and another. mine was through one of the local phone companies.

A lot of very good points here.
The "Phonebook In Every Vehicle" is a MUST!
It costs $1.50 to call directory assistance on my cell. And, it really ticks me off when someone calls me from their cell phone and asks ME to look up a number for them. There's about 3 people that think I am "Directory Assistance".

My old cell phone had a signal EVERYWHERE.
When no one else could get a signal, mine always had one.
Now I've switched companies :p and can't talk on the phone in some places unless I stand on a chair and hold my right leg out while my head is pointing north. :rolleyes:

Cindy

cindy, don't forget the aluminum foil on your ears... if you want a cell signal at my house (ANY company) that is what you have to do, unless you are on the call when you get here, and you are holding your right elbow just so! :rolleyes:

Pay as you go is definitely the way to go if you're only using the phone for emergencies and "touch base" basis. You simply buy your phone card (I purchase a 10$ one and that lasts me the full month!!), then activate the card and you're ready to go. Of course, being in Canada, I use Bell Canada Mobility..so I'm sorry but I don't know the cell phone providers in you area. But I do recommend Pay as You Go!!
Christina

Thanks all. I still don't know which one to go with, though. But I'm going to look into that tracphone. I'm in Los Angeles, so I kinda assumed that my reception wouldn't be a problem.

But how dou they work out long distance charges if you don't want to do that evening and weekend thing, and also I've heard of roaming, but how do you know if you're in a roaming area, and what if the person you're calling is?

I'm sorry to sound ignorant, but when it comes to cell phones, I pretty much am.

I've hated them for so long that I don't know any other way. (For EXACTLY the reason you describe, Moondance! I do NOT want that much information about strangers, and am not interested in a loudspeaker-volume rendition of the minutia of someone's day. My most memorable one was listening to a 15 minute debate in the grocery checkout line about whether green M&Ms are kosher. Seriously.)

Geegee, if you look at the tracphone website you'll put in your zip code....When you do that it shows you a map of what your local calling area would be....Anything outside of your local calling area is considered roaming....And when someone calls you it uses your minutes too....2 per minute if you are in roaming...1 per minute if you make a call in your local zone. You get a voice mail box for your phone too...I never check it from my phone because that uses your minutes....I always check marks mail for him from the home phone. We were about the last people out of everyone I know to get a cell phone...heck, even my mom and mom-in-law had them before we did.

I've been using a Virgin mobile the past 3 years myself, works fine.

However, I'm not one of those morons that have to have a cell phone up to my ear every minute of the day, I rarely use mine. All I have to do is put $20 on it every 3 months.

I have the Vox 8610 model.

Tom

hi tom, where ya been?

geegee, when you call someone (local), it doesn't matter where they are (or if they call you). the only thing important for roaming purposes is where you and the phone are. now, if it is long distance, that is different.

I hope this info not too late.

Please check

Net 10 Wireless .

They advertise low flat rate of 10 cents per minute.

I see you got a lot of good advice.

*****Steph

I have a pay as you go...works great for me, I was on a plan and never used all my minutes. On the pay as you go I use mine only for emergencies. We have had several and been on several plans. We pretty much have to stick to altel here because they cover more area that we are in.

Hubby has a pay as you go too, he got one this time with nation wide service because the new job he's got he's traveling alot. (YES!!! he finally got a job)

my phone (which like I said is good for me) covers all of arkansas and if I leave the state as long as I am in an area that has altel coverage then it will work there, it works in Miss when we go do to visit hubby's son. It worked all the way across arkansas but stopped as soon as we crossed over to OK.

I like the medium size phone, the smaller cute ones seem to be hard for me to hear on. (my be just me)